Fan and motor for operating the same by compressed air.



No-- 827,509. PATENTED JULY31, 1906.

I J. L. OREVELING. I FAN AND MOTOR FOR OPERATING THE SAME BY COMPRESSEDAIR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l0 1901.

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"'HE NORRIS PETERS 50., wAsHlNcroN. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. CREVELING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SAFETY OAR HEATING &LIGHTING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FAN AND MOTOR FOR OPERATING THE SAME BY COMPRESSED AIR.

Patented July 31. 1906.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, JOHN L. OREVELING, of New York, in the county of NewYork, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fans and Motors for Operating the Same by CompressedAir, of which the following is a complete specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to produce a fanemotor 'adapted to bedriven by compressed air operating upon the reaction principle, in whichprovision is made for keeping the bearings of the machine welllubricated, for preventing the blowing out of the lubricant underair-pressure, and for reducing friction in operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a longitudinal sectional viewof a preferred form of embodiment of my invention, certain of the partsbeing shown in elevation. Fig. II is a side elevation of a portion ofthe fanhead detached.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 indicates a base orsupporting member, which may be of any preferred shape and dimensionsand designed to be supported in any desired position. air-inlet 2,designed in practice to communicate with a source of compressed-airsupply. (Not illustrated.) Threaded or otherwise secured to the base 1is a nipple 3 of a preferably spherical shell 4, to the end of which,preferably opposite the inlet 2, is secured a bearing member 5,preferably through the intervention of a coupling 6, the coupling beingthreaded, as indicated at 7, to the bearing member 5 and, as indicatedat 8, to the shell 4. A rib 9 on the bearing member is preferablyprovided as an abutment thereon for the end of the coupling member 6.Extending through the bearing member 5 and the coupling 6 I provide ahollow shaft 12, to which is fixed a bearing or collar 13, that worksloosely within a cavity 14, provided for it in the coupling 6, andagainst the end of the bearing member 5, which closes one side of saidcavity. From a plane (indicated at flush with the inner end of thecoupling 6 the shaft 12 terminates in a reduced portion 16. Against theend of the shoulder (indicated at 15) and the end of the coupling 6flush there- 7 with is secured a washer 17, preferably made of rawhide,the same being retained in place,

It is provided with an as by a screw-cap l8, threaded to the inner endof the coupling 6.

19 indicates a lubricant-feed, which may be of wicking and is adapted bycapillarity to supply oil from the interior of the shell 4 to the washer17, which is the only bearing in the coupling 6, the coupling beingpreferably bored with a small clearance for the shaft 12.

The reduced end 16 of the shaft 12 works loosely in the cap 18 and inthe end of a shield 20, which may consist of a shell of spun brassslipped into the bore of the nipple 3. The adjacent ends of the coupling6 and of the shield 20 project toward. each other into the interior ofthe shell 4, and thereby provide means for holding a volume of oilwithin the shell 4 in whatever position it may be set without bringingit into direct contact with the shaft 12 or the reduced end 16 thereof.

Upon the outer end of the shaft 12 I pro vide a fan head 22, which ispreferably threaded to the end of the shaft, as illustrated, and whichis provided with a central bore 23, that communicates with cross orbranch bores 24, corresponding in number to the number of vanes withwhich the fan is provided. I prefer to employ four vanes, and thereforeillustrate four tubular arms 25, each of which communicates with itsrespective branch bore 24. The ends of the respective arms are closed,preferably by elongated screw-caps 26, each of which is provided with aseries of lateral apertures 27 and with a kerf 28, by which it may beconveniently re moved for cleaning or for the substitution of other capshaving apertures 27 of different sizes to meet the requirements of theairpres sure available in practice.

Each of the arms 25 is secured, as by straps 30, to a vane 31. The vanesmay be adapted to be easily removed when re uired and to be adjusted atany required ang e.

32 indicates an oil-cup, preferably suspended from the bearing member 5and sup porting in contact with the shaft 12 a Wick or other capillaryfeed 33.

34 indicates a tube filled with wicking, which establishes capillarycommunication betweenthe wick 33 and the inner face of the collar 13.

35 indicates an air-vent establishing communication between the interiorof the cavity 14 and the outside atmosphere.

36 indicates an annular sheath which be ing revolubly fitted to the endof the bearing member 5 is provided with an air-vent 37. The sheath 36is preferably made of spun brass.

In operation air is supplied through the inlet 2 to the interior of theshield 20, whence it finds egress through the shaft 12 and fanhead 22 tothe hollow arms 25 thereof. Issuing thence through the lateral apertures27 in the caps 26, which close the ends of the arms, it operates uponthe reaction principle to impart rotation to the fan-head and to drivethe vanes 31, which constitute the fan. The end thrust upon the shaft12, produced by the rotation of the fan, tends to equalize the endthrust in the opposite direction produced by the air-supply, and therebyto re duoe to a minimum friction generated in the operation of the fan.'There is of course a tendency upon the part of the high-pressureair-supply within the shell 4 to leak between the shaft 12 and thecoupling 6; but this passage is blocked by the washer 17, which is keptoiled by the feed 19 and which cannot be freely enough supplied with oilon account of the oil being brought up only by capillary attractionthrough the leather of which the washer 17 is made to allow any oil toblow through, and thus exhaust the supply within the shell 4. If anyleakage occurs, the air will simply pass through into the cavity 14 andthence to the atmosphere without causing any high pressure within thecavity, and thus there is no tendency to blow the oil out of the thrustbearing or collar 13. I find that for the capillary feed 23 a soft pieceof wood having capillary holes drilled longitudinally through it willwork well. The main bearing can of course be kept well oiled by use ofany well-known cups employed for electric motors, one being indicated at32 in Fig. I of the drawings. j

The sheath 36 is provided upon the end of the bearing 5 as a protectionagainst the introducing of dust and also to catch any drip of oil whichmight occur at the end of the bearing member 5. If any considerablequantity of oil should accumulate in the bottom of the sheath 36, it maybe readily drained off by turning the sheath until its vent 37 may makedischarge thereof by gravit What I claim is 1. The. combination with abearing member, its support, and an intermediate shell, of a hollowshaft, a reaction'fan thereon, means of air-supply to one end of theshaft, and oppositely-projecting members within the shell adapting theshell to hold a supply of oil out of direct contact with the shaft.-

2. The combination with a bearing member, support, intermediate shell,and hollow shaft provided with a reaction-fan, of a shoulder on theshaft flush with the end of the bearing member, a washer secured against5. The combination with a base or support, shell, coupling, and bearingmember, the shell and coupling being provided between them with a cavityand air-vent, of a hollow shaft provided with a collar working in thecavity between the bearing member and coupling, and with a washerbetween it and the bearing member, a reaction-fan on the shaft, andcapillary lubricant-feeds operatively communicating with the collar andwasher, respectively.

In testimony of all which I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN L. OREVELING.

Witnesses:

O. A. MoOUNE, F. E. KESSINGER.

